Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved. ResourcesChapter menu Molecular Compounds A molecule is a neutral group of atoms that are held together by covalent bonds. A chemical compound whose simplest units are molecules is called a molecular compound. Section 2 Covalent Bonding and Molecular Compounds Chapter 6

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved. ResourcesChapter menu Visual Concepts Molecule Chapter 6

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved. ResourcesChapter menu Molecular Compounds The composition of a compound is given by its chemical formula. A chemical formula indicates the relative numbers of atoms of each kind in a chemical compound by using atomic symbols and numerical subscripts. A molecular formula shows the types and numbers of atoms combined in a single molecule of a molecular compound. Section 2 Covalent Bonding and Molecular Compounds Chapter 6

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved. ResourcesChapter menu Visual Concepts Comparing Monatomic, Diatomic, and Polyatomic Molecules Chapter 6

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved. ResourcesChapter menu Formation of a Covalent Bond Most atoms have lower potential energy when they are bonded to other atoms than they have as they are independent particles. The figure below shows potential energy changes during the formation of a hydrogen-hydrogen bond. Section 2 Covalent Bonding and Molecular Compounds Chapter 6

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved. ResourcesChapter menu Formation of a Covalent Bond The electron of one atom and proton of the other atom attract one another. The two nuclei and two electrons repel each other. These two forces cancel out to form a covalent bond at a length where the potential energy is at a minimum. Section 2 Covalent Bonding and Molecular Compounds Chapter 6

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved. ResourcesChapter menu Formation of a Covalent Bond Section 2 Covalent Bonding and Molecular Compounds Chapter 6

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved. ResourcesChapter menu Characteristics of the Covalent Bond When two atoms form a covalent bond, their shared electrons form overlapping orbitals. This achieves a noble- gas configuration. The bonding of two hydrogen atoms allows each atom to have the stable electron configuration of helium, 1s 2. Section 2 Covalent Bonding and Molecular Compounds Chapter 6

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved. ResourcesChapter menu The Octet Rule Noble gas atoms are unreactive because their electron configurations are especially stable. This stability results from the fact that the noble-gas atoms’ outer s and p orbitals are completely filled by a total of eight electrons. Other atoms can fill their outermost s and p orbitals by sharing electrons through covalent bonding. Such bond formation follows the octet rule: Chemical compounds tend to form so that each atom, by gaining, losing, or sharing electrons, has an octet of electrons in its highest energy level. Section 2 Covalent Bonding and Molecular Compounds Chapter 6

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved. ResourcesChapter menu The Octet Rule, continued Exceptions to the Octet Rule Exceptions to the octet rule include those for atoms that cannot fit eight electrons, and for those that can fit more than eight electrons, into their outermost orbital. Hydrogen forms bonds in which it is surrounded by only two electrons. Boron has just three valence electrons, so it tends to form bonds in which it is surrounded by six electrons. Main-group elements in Periods 3 and up can form bonds with expanded valence, involving more than eight electrons. Section 2 Covalent Bonding and Molecular Compounds Chapter 6

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved. ResourcesChapter menu Electron-Dot Notation To keep track of valence electrons, it is helpful to use electron-dot notation. Electron-dot notation is an electron-configuration notation in which only the valence electrons of an atom of a particular element are shown, indicated by dots placed around the element’s symbol. The inner-shell electrons are not shown. Section 2 Covalent Bonding and Molecular Compounds Chapter 6

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved. ResourcesChapter menu Lewis Structures Electron-dot notation can also be used to represent molecules. Section 2 Covalent Bonding and Molecular Compounds Chapter 6 The pair of dots between the two symbols represents the shared electron pair of the hydrogen-hydrogen covalent bond. For a molecule of fluorine, F 2, the electron-dot notations of two fluorine atoms are combined.

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved. ResourcesChapter menu Lewis Structures The pair of dots representing a shared pair of electrons in a covalent bond is often replaced by a long dash. example: Section 2 Covalent Bonding and Molecular Compounds Chapter 6 A structural formula indicates the kind, number, and arrangement, and bonds but not the unshared pairs of the atoms in a molecule. example: F–FH–Cl

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved. ResourcesChapter menu The Lewis structures and the structural formulas for many molecules can be drawn if one knows the composition of the molecule and which atoms are bonded to each other. A single covalent bond, or single bond, is a covalent bond in which one pair of electrons is shared between two atoms. Section 2 Covalent Bonding and Molecular Compounds Chapter 6 Lewis Structures

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved. ResourcesChapter menu Multiple Covalent Bonds A double covalent bond, or simply a double bond, is a covalent bond in which two pairs of electrons are shared between two atoms. Double bonds are often found in molecules containing carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen. A double bond is shown either by two side-by-side pairs of dots or by two parallel dashes. Section 2 Covalent Bonding and Molecular Compounds Chapter 6

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved. ResourcesChapter menu Multiple Covalent Bonds A triple covalent bond, or simply a triple bond, is a covalent bond in which three pairs of electrons are shared between two atoms. example 1—diatomic nitrogen: Section 2 Covalent Bonding and Molecular Compounds Chapter 6 example 2—ethyne, C 2 H 2 :

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved. ResourcesChapter menu Multiple Covalent Bonds Double and triple bonds are referred to as multiple bonds, or multiple covalent bonds. In general, double bonds have greater bond energies and are shorter than single bonds. Triple bonds are even stronger and shorter than double bonds. When writing Lewis structures for molecules that contain carbon, nitrogen, or oxygen, remember that multiple bonds between pairs of these atoms are possible. Section 2 Covalent Bonding and Molecular Compounds Chapter 6

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved. ResourcesChapter menu Drawing Lewis Structures with Many Atoms Section 2 Covalent Bonding and Molecular Compounds Chapter 6

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved. ResourcesChapter menu Drawing Lewis Structures with Many Atoms Section 2 Covalent Bonding and Molecular Compounds Chapter 6